Caring for Your Feet

Due to the extra weight being carried around during pregnancy, sore ankles can become a nuisance as the months pass. If you're like most pregnant women, you don't have time to deal with the pain and discomfort of sore ankles while there is so much excitement to focus on surrounding your new family arrival. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to minimize ankle pain so you can enjoy the positive aspects of being pregnant:

Don't Bare Your Ankles

One of the best ways to ensure that your ankles feel great throughout your pregnancy is to wear shoes that cover your ankles whenever you leave the house. High-top tennis shoes, walking boots, and even sandals that provide some ankle support are all effective options to consider if you'd rather avoid ankle aches after a long day of walking around. Even if you plan to spend time at the park or the beach, it's a good idea to stay away from flip flops and other shoes that don't offer support for your ankles due to the extra weight of your pregnancy putting extra pressure on your feet and ankles.  

Do a Little Legwork

By incorporating a few ankle exercises into your daily life throughout pregnancy you should be able to avoid a lot of ankle pain, especially on busy days when you have to spend a lot of time on your feet. Practicing your balance skills is an excellent way to keep your ankles nice and strong throughout pregnancy – simply hold on to the back of a chair and stand on one leg with the other slightly bent off the ground. Balance on the foot that's still holding you up for about 30 seconds and then repeat the process with your other foot. Doing a few calf raises each day will also help to improve ankle strength as well as minimize the chance of pain and injuries from occurring.

Use Some Essential Oil

If you do find yourself with sore ankles at the end of the day, consider applying some essential oil to them for some relief and to decrease the chance of inflammation. You can reduce inflammation and increase blood circulation by rubbing a little cypress essential oil around the affected areas. Frankincense oil will help to reduce the chance of bruising while keeping inflammation levels low, and peppermint essential oil should help to reduce overall pain after being generously applied.

With these considerations in mind you should be able to more fully enjoy the experience of being pregnant while keeping pain and discomfort at low levels and on the back burner. Contact a business, such as Advanced Foot & Ankle Center of Palatine for more information.